1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC (integrated circuit) card system utilizing an IC card functioning as a credit card and a debit card, and a card terminal operable as a cash register in, for example, restaurants, gas stations, or the like where the location to pay charges is remote from the position where a cardholder exists.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional magnetic card is well known in such an article identification system. The magnetic card has a magnetic coating stripe on which a key code, a confidential number, an account number, etc. are magnetically recorded. These magnetically recorded contents, e.g., the key code are known to at least bank personnel because a cardholder as a user has his duty to disclose his key code to the bank. In general, the magnetically recorded information may be relatively easily accessed by everyone. In view of such an easy access, the private confidential information of the conventional magnetic card may not be kept secret.
Instead of the conventional magnetic card, an IC card incorporating an IC (integrated circuit) module has recently been proposed. Accordingly, no one can easily gain access to the confidential information stored in the IC module.
Although it is very hard to read out the confidential information from the IC card, there is no way to identify the authorized cardholder if the IC card per se is forged. Moreover, another difficulty exists in whether the IC card terminal as the card identifying unit is authorized or not.
In the case of actually performing the transaction using such an IC card, the following method is considered. That is, the IC card is loaded in the card terminal installed in banks, stores, or the like. At this time, the personal identification number (i.e., PIN) is key-input to check the validities of the card and authorized cardholder. Thereafter, a predetermined transaction action with respect to the drawing of a deposit, or payment of charges is executed.
However, in the case of using such a method whereby the IC card is loaded in the card terminal and the personal identification number is key-input by the cardholder upon execution of the payment of the charges, first, there is the possibility such that when the cardholder key-inputs his personal ID number at, a store or the like, such a key-input operation itself may be stolen visually by somebody. Second, in the case where the cardholder uses his IC card at a location where the cardholder is remote from the cash register such as, for example, in restaurant, gas station, or the like, the store clerk must bring the card terminal for the cash register by himself to the side of the user, or the cardholder himself must visit the place where the cash register is installed.
The first problem mentioned above may be solved if the cardholder himself carefully key-inputs his personal identification information so as not to be visually stolen during his key entry. To the contrary, there is no effective measure to solve the second problem. In the restaurant, the atmosphere in the store will be deteriorated because the waiters or customers walk about. In the gas station, the customer must get out of the car, resulting in an inconvenience to him.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide an IC card system which can eliminate the necessity of the cardholder having to visit the card terminal to directly key-input his personal identification information even in, for example, restaurants, gas stations, or the like as well.
Another object of the invention is to provide an IC card system in which the cardholder doesn't need to walk about at a store with his IC card by himself, thereby enabling the atmosphere in the store and the practical use efficiency to be improved.